New Year's Eve Family Celebration!

After attending Watch Night Service on New Year's Eve my husband and I hosted a family celebration with a selection of bites, laughs and thanking God for seeing us through this year. In the African-American Community, Watch Night Service has added importance and history because of the gathering of slaves on  New Year's Eve, in 1862, to await the news of the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln, on January 1, 1863. During the Watch Night Service we celebrate and give thanks to God for what he has done in the outgoing year and praying for the upcoming year.

 

New Year's Eve Family Celebration Menu

I tried to snap a quick shot before the eating began. The menu consisted of ground turkey pastellios, prosciutto and arugula on whole wheat pizza, octopus salad, honey-garlic wings, turkey sliders smothered in bbq sauce and my husband's coquito (puerto rican egg nog) it's a family secret YUMMY!

BBQ Sauce Turkey Sliders

BBQ Sauce Turkey Sliders
makes approx. 12

2 lbs ground turkey
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I make my own from day old bread)
2 tbsp ketchup
1 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
salt
pepper
Martin's Famous Whole Wheat Potato Rolls  (the ones for sliders)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Combine ground turkey, 1/2 cup chopped onions, ketchup, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper in a large and mix (don't over mix). Line baking sheet with foil. Using a large ice cream and scoop ground turkey out on baking sheet. Flatten each burger (not too flat). Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Don't over cook. While cooking add extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and the rest of the onions and cook until translucent. Pour a jar of original bbq in a sauce pan and simmer. When burgers are done add to sauce. Brush inside of buns with extra virgin olive oil and lightly brown under broiler. Assemble sliders and stand back and watch them disappear!

Octopus Salad


8 cans of octopus (Goya brand octopus in garlic sauce only!)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
1 orange pepper (chopped)
1 yellow pepper (chopped)
1 small red onion (chopped)

Juice of a lime
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
pepper


Open and drain octopus. Add to a large glass bowl. Add all ingredients and toss. Then refrigerate for at least an hour.

Honey-Garlic Wings

Honey-Garlic Wings

20-30 prepared crispy fried chicken wings (sorry! can't give you my recipe)
10 gloves of garlic (minced)
2 cups of honey
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


Add olive oil to sauce pans. Heat pan to medium. Add garlic and cook but do not brown about 5-7 minutes. Add honey, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Be careful sauce may boil over and cause a mess. Remove from heat and allow to cool.   Toss with your prepared chicken wings. They can be very addicting, ask my sister the chicken wing Queen.

Ground Turkey Pastelillos

Ground Turkey Pastelillos
approx. 20

1 lb ground turkey
1 cup olives and pimentos (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 medium green pepper (chopped)
1 tbsp of Sofrito
1 packet sazon
pepper
2-8 oz can of tomato sauce
2 pkg of small Goya discs

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil 
Canola Oil for frying

Add olive oil to saute pan. Brown ground turkey. Add onions, garlic and peppers and cook until onions are translucent. Add olives, tomato sauce and sazon. Cook until sauce has reduced. Allow mixture to cool completely before preparing pastelillos. Lay one disc on a flat surface apply 1 tbsp of mixture in the center of disc. Form pastelillo by folding disc over mixture, like a turnover. Pinch close and secure by pressing edges with the back of a fork (dip fork in water if dough gets sticky). Assemble pastelillos on a sheet pan lined with foil or wax paper. If you are not frying right away, cover and refrigerate until. Prepare deep fryer or pot with canola oil, enough for deep frying.  Deep fry pastelillos being sure not to crowd pot.

Fry pastelillos until they are golden brown or begin to float. Drain excess oil and serve. Great with some hot sauce.

Add 1 tbsp of mixture to center

Pinch close

Secure closure by pressing with back of fork

Deep fry and enjoy!